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For over a decade, portable fuel cells makers have been promising that they were about to become economical for mobile and remote applications. California-based Jadoo pioneered in the field, with a solution aimed at on-site TV crews and medical applications, but its products never achieved broad success. More recently, smaller units like the MyFC PowerTrekk have entered the market, catering to eco-sensitive consumers willing to splurge on expensive, but low-impact, fuel pucks rather than loading up on less expensive extra batteries. Now, British-company Intelligent Energy is about to take another crack at the market with the hydrogen-powered Upp fuel cell. The Upp is a $200 2-piece device that comprises one half that turns the fuel into energy, aka the “engine,” and the other half that serves as a hydrogen “fuel tank.” Refilling can be done either by snapping off and replacing the tank, or by refilling it.

With a substantially larger capacity than the similarly-priced PowerTrekk, when it ships in December the Upp is expected to be able to recharge a typical smartphone five to seven times on a single tank of hydrogen. However, unlike the PowerTrekk, the Upp doesn’t include an internal battery to store the generated electricity, so you need to charge your smartphone while it is running. The Upp unit features a single USB output, so users can simply plug in their existing USB charging cables. Unique to the Upp is a companion smartphone app that provides information both on the status of the fuel cell and on where you can purchase more fuel. Longer term, Intelligent Energy wants to turn Upp into a platform, allowing it to be integrated into mobile devices along with their conventional battery. CEO Dr. Henri Winand optimistically compares Intelligent Energy’s business model to ARM’s licensing model.

Proton transfer energy generation

Like the PowerTrekk, Upp uses PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane, aka Polymer Electrolyte Membrane) to generate electricity. In a PEM fuel cell, the chemical energy generated by the mixing of hydrogen and oxygen is turned into electrical energy using a membrane that allows hydrogen ions (protons) to pass through, while rejecting the created electrons. This allows the electrons to be routed separately, creating an electrical current that can be used to run or recharge devices. PEM fuel cells are a newer technology than the alkaline fuel cells used in the Space Shuttle, and also include the microbial fuel cells that are also being used for similar products.

The uphill battle to replace the car battery

In many parts of the world, the stiffest competition for fuel cells is the venerable car battery. Old ones make excellent household power supplies for remote communities not served by powerlines. A trip to town from those villages often comes complete with a stop at the battery charging station, where the battery is daisy chained to dozens of others to be charged. Later it is picked up and taken home fully charged — ready for another night of phone, radio and TV use. In some areas the same trucks or boats that bring tractor fuel to farming villages return with empty batteries to be charged. While low tech, this solution is amazingly cost efficient. To date the high cost of both fuel cells and their fuel have kept them from making a dent in the market — although solar cells are now cheap enough that they are starting to become a practical alternative for recharging the batteries. Intelligent Energy hasn’t announced pricing for its fuel refills, so it is hard to tell how cost effective the Upp will be for anyone with alternatives.

The result is that, at least for now, the market for products like the Upp will be limited to areas that are so remote, or have such poor transportation, that sending batteries off to be recharged isn’t an option. Efforts to sell similar products, like the MyFC PowerTrekk, to consumers in the first world have met with very limited success. Clearly that is a major reason why Intelligent Energy has chosen to introduce its fuel cell first in sub-Saharan Africa — one of the least connected areas on the planet.

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Momo

The hydrogen refill bit is a tricky one. I’m pretty sure they’ll try to rip people off with this. If this in fact will be the case, they will never be able to sell enough units to make up for their investment.

Momo

The hydrogen refill bit is a tricky one. I’m pretty sure they’ll try to rip people off with this. If this in fact will be the case, they will never be able to sell enough units to make up for their investment.

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